If you see a snowy owl

If you are taking photos of a snowy owl, limit your time and keep your distance. Use a zoom lens. If you are causing the owl to fly, you are causing the owl to loose heat and energy.

If you are just looking, also limit your time, and give the owl its space. Use binoculars. If the owl is near your home, or on a regular route that you travel, you will probably get a chance to see it multiple times. They use a territory that provides them with enough prey. In the open fields, they often perch on telephone poles.

If a snowy owl comes into a poultry coop, call 989-772-1538 for help. Many times, these owls are beaten down by geese or other birds in a flock, even though the owl can catch and kill one of them. The owls often end up so bruised that they can not fly. Be sure the poultry coop is closed up with no openings.

If a snowy owl is in your cattle barn, horse barn or corral with livestock, it may have been trampled or kicked. If possible, cover the owl with a box, and move it out of the area, preferably a warm room. It will likely need immediate help, especially in these cold temperatures. Again, call 989-772-1538 for help.

If you see an owl on the side of the road, report this by calling our sanctuary or your local conservation officer. Most injuries to owls come from car collisions. In the winter temperatures, the owl needs help ASAP.

Owls cannot be kept for pets. It is not legal to take one in and care for it unless you are licensed by both state and federal permits. It is much better to respect them as wild birds, and help with their habitat -- build nest boxes and landscape with many plants that produce seeds and berries.